Our women's group at church has been doing the same activities for the past few years. We are looking for ideas for some new activities. If you have had great success with an activity at your church, please share the details. Thanks in advance.

This spring WIC (women in the church)sponsered an "ice cream social". We dished a couple of scoops of ice cream into bowls and let everyone put their own toppings on. We had carmel, chocolate and pineapple toppings with cherries, nuts and whipped cream available. Someone did a devotional and we had some door prizes that were flower arrangements that we had used for table decorations. Everyone really liked it. Summer is a great time to have one of these.Kylie

Might be a little late for this year but we had a "Christmas in July" party with Christmas Cookies and holiday food. Then we had a white elephant exchange. Instead of a white elephant exchange you can put up an angel tree with tags that have different ages and sexes (like boy 3-6 months, girl 10-12...you get the idea). Each lady can take a tag or two. With the toys or clothing collected, you could donate it to your local women's abuse center. A lot of women and children go there with just what they are wearing, bringing nothing else with them. The shelters are forgotten during the summer.

Another thing that you can do is have a Secret Sister Swap, similar to what we have on this BB. Someone will have to organize it. You all can draw names out of a hat so even the one who organizes it can get a secret sister. Then for a specified time you can send notes of encouragement, something handmade, a book, etc to your secret sister without her knowing or guessing who you are. You can use use other people (even the pastor) to deliver the notes and things.

Twice a year we have a salad luncheon, advertise in the paper, etc. Ladies bring salads, and we have rolls, too. We charge $5. per person. We are a small town, small congregation, but we always make nearly $1000. on it. We do like to know what kind of salad the women are bringing, and get them to sign up...some potato salad, some taco salad, some fruit, lettuce, vegetable, etc. Very little expense.

Our women's group had a "Birthday Celebration" as a fundraiser this year. Two or three women went together and chose a month, decorated a table using a theme that related to the chosen month, such as Valentine's Day for February. We sold tickets and the purchaser had to tell us what month they were born in because that is where they would sit. We served hotdogs & hamburgers and had a huge birthday cake for everyone. We even had a magician who also did animal balloons for the kids! It was a lot of fun! We had so many nice comments, such as how nice it was to share a table with someone they wouldn't normally sit with - you know how it goes - families all sit together at these kind of things and this split most families up making for great fellowship! (Of course it wasn't madatory because some Mommies have to be with their little ones.) This was the first time we tried this and it definitely will become a yearly activity. I've got some pictures I can email you - if you're interested let me know.

One fun thing our church does is a talent night. We get someone who can ham up the announcing & then let the congregation do what ever they want, within discrete guidelines (nothing off color). We have had everything from lipsic(beachboys) to a hill billy band, skits & comedy are well liked & of course it gives violin & piano students extra practice. Add and ice cream or dessert social following & everyone has a fun night.Example: While looking up poetry on the internet I discovered one of the earliest written poems.....It is entitled 'Fleas'.....Adam had em. LOL OImama

We have done several of these same ideas at our church. We do an All Church Birthday party, which is alot of fun. We have people sit at tables w/ other people whose birthdays are in the same month. Then this past year each table had to sing happy birthday a different way i.e. Barber Shop Quartet, Opera, Country, etc.

A church I used to attend did a talent show. That was so much funny. We did goofy things like skits to different songs, etc. One in particular was the song "Leader of the Pack" a couple ladies dressed like they were from the movie "Grease" and our MINISTER came in wearing a leather jacket and riding a TRICYCLE. It was so funny.

My moms church does a yearly overnight women's retreat. I always go w/ my mom and we stay at a hotel, have a guest speaker, play games, do crafts, etc. It's a fun night and a great way to get to know other women.

If someone is talented in the group at crafts, have a simply craft taught to the group of ladies one night. Have a list of what supplies are needed posted ahead of time. And enjoy an evening of making something creative. Have light refreshments also provided.

When Spring comes around. Plan a planting party. Either at the church yard or a local nursing home or simply for the ladies. Have flower pots,seeds or already grown flowers provided. Again simply refreshments.

A Christmas cookie/candy exchange. Have a sign up sheet ahead of time. So you know how many ladies will be attending. Then inform each lady on how many cookies/candy to make of there choice of either cookie or candy. With a recipe provided with the goodie. Then plan the evening or afternoon gathering. Have each lady tell a story about what Christmas means to them. Or a story of growing up dealing with Christmas. Or read a poem or sing a song. Then exchange the cookies, with each person recieving a cookie or candy from each person attending. Have light refreshments again provided.

Plan an afternoon or early evening attending a nursing home. Either greeting residents or doing an activity with residents. Contact the director of activities ahead of time. You can even contact the director and help with a monthly birthday party. If the home has one for residents.

When apple season and pecan pies come around in the fall season. Either in time for Thanksgiving or just any time plan this activity. Have bushels of apples provided. Instruct which women want to make crusts and which want to peal. Which ones want to mix and which ones want to finish the pies off. Tell the women to provide pie pans. And make many pies with the intention of each women going home with pies to either bake later or bake at the church.

Tea party. Have each women bring a daughter or a little girl they know with them when they attend. Each woman and little girl needs to dressed in frilly dresses, with hats, and gloves if they can. Then have the an area in the church set up

like a tea room. With little sandwhiches, tea, and desserts to enjoy. Or go to a local restaurant that may do a tea party for the church at a discount.

Shut in or lock in. Use the church to do this in. Plan to invite a speaker to spend the weekend to speak. Friday night start at 6 or 7pm. and go no longer then 9 or 10pm. Start with announcements, songs, then the speaker. Have an MC the whole time. After the Friday night activities have light refreshments served afterwards.On Saturday morning start at 9am again similar to Friday night activity. But have an exchange of salads brought by each lady to sit and eat. Or have the church provide soup and salad buffet with light desserts provided to enjoy for lunch. If you want to quit then you can. Or you can have an afternoon session also.You can either have it where the ladies leave. Or you can tell them bring a sleeping bag, cot, and camp out overnight.

Sewing season. Have someone teach the group of ladies to make a simple block quilt. One that can be knotted. Then provide it to either a local shelter for abused women, or pregnancy shelter, or orphan shelter, or homeless shelter.

We have ladies night once every other month, usually on Friday night. No kids or husbands!!!We bring a couple of dishes, casseroles and desserts. We have a message, we sing sometimes and we eat and fellowship. Sometimes we also do door prizes. We share recipes of new dishes we bring too. Usually we are finished by 9:30.